Wringer guard



July 18, 1944. H. J. HEETDERKS WRINGER GUARD Filed Aug. 20, 1941 Patented July 18, 1944 UNITED STATES FATE-N ori ice.

V WRINGER GUARD Henry J. Heetderks, Holland. Mich. Application August 20, 1941, Serial No. 407,515 (01. 68-270) v I 4 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in guard means for the rollers of clothes wringer machines. The primary object of the invention is to provide guard means for preventing clothing or other articles passing through the clothes wringer from becoming entangled in the rollers, thereby clogging the wringer and impeding its efficiency.

Another object of the invention is to provide a guard which may be readily and easily attached to the usual clothes wringer without changing the construction thereof.

A further object of the invention is in the construction whereby the wiper bar tips laterally for an effective edge contact with the roller of the wringer. The Wiper bar also may tip longitudinally for eifective operation the full length of the roller.

Other objects and purposes will appear more fully as the description proceeds.

An understanding of the invention and the simple and economical construction which has been produced may be had from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a clothes wringer machine showing the device of my invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section of the clothes wringer as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical longitudinal section of the wiper bar guide member with the wiper bar located therein.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the members shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section through the wiper bar and guide member.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing a modified form of wiper bar.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing another form of wiper bar, and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary elevation of one end of the wiper blade guide member and the wiper bar showing a spring attached thereto.

Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

The guard of my invention may be applied to any conventional clothes wringer, one form of which is shown in Fig. 1, and has a frame I in which the wringer rollers are rotatably mounted closely adjacent each other and between which the clothes pass after they are washed. These rollers are yieldably held closely adjacent each other by means of a leaf spring 3 and a tensioning screw 4 whereby the tension on the leaf spring may be adjusted.

The wringer guard comprises in general an elongated guide member 5, having a longitudinal opening therein between its upper and lower sides adapted to receive the wiper bar 6. The device may be located in the clothes wringer closely adjacent either or both of the upper and lower rollers of the wringer. When located above the upper roller the ends of the guide member 5 are located between the leaf spring 3 and the bearing members of the upper roller 2. The wiper bar 6 is loosely mounted in the opening 1 in the guide member and is held by gravity down against the upper roller. When located below the lower roller the ends of the wiper bar guide are located in recesses in the wringer frame I and yieldable means are provided for holding the wiper bar upwardly against the lower roller.

The guide member 5 is provided with pad members 8 at each end thereof which rest between the leaf spring and the bearing block of the upper roller when in proper position and the opening in the body of the guide member is provided with integral and opposed guide bosses 9 against which the wiper bar bears at times.

The wiper bar 6 is also a long and narrow member and is provided with tapered side faces l0 which converge toward the lower edge thereof. The wiper bar is also provided with a fiat inner edge which, by means of gravity, is constantly held downwardly toward the wringer roller.

It will be noted that the distance between the opposed guide bosses 9 is slightly greater than the width of the wiper bar a short distance below its upper side so that when the parts are properly adjusted on rotation of the roller the contact of the wiper bar against the roller will cause said bar to tip slightly in the direction of the rotation of the roller thereby causing the wiper bar to have a slight V contact with the face of the roller. This V contact of the Wiper blade with the roller causes the clothes, which may have stuck to the face of the roller and become wrapped therearound, to be more effectively released therefrom,

If it is desirous to increase the pressure of the wiper bar against the roller, or if the guard is to be located below the lower roller in an inverted position, yieldable means may be provided to bear against the bar. In Fig. 8 I have shown the preferred form of this means which includes springs I2 riveted or otherwise secured to each of the pad portions 8 of the guide member and which extend inwardly over each end of the wiper bar. When the guard is under the lower roller and the bar extends upwardly these springs l2 are necessary to hold the wiper bar upwardly against the lower side of the lower roller.

In the modified form, as shown in Fig. 6, the wiper bar 6a is provided at its contacting edge with a surface of transversely concave formation, as at I la, of a quite small radius so that the bar will have a comparatively sharp or thin contacting portion for efiicient removal of the articles which have started to wind around the roller. In the modified form shown in Fig. '7 the sides lb of the wiper bar 61) are parallel and the lower edge is also transversely concave for the same purpose but the radius of the concave ity is substantially the same as the radius of the roller.

Having thus described my invention, the particular construction which I claim as new is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

I claim:

1. The combination with a clothes wringer having rollers and a frame, of a guard comprising a guide longer than said rollers and connected to said frame and having a longitudinal slot extending entirely through the guide, a rigid wiper bar extending entirely through the slot in said guide and engaging one of said rollers and that portion of the wiper bar extending through said slot being narrower than the slot to permit tipping of the wiper bar relative to the guide and to the roller.

2. The elements of claim 1 in combination, in which said wiper bar and said slot are tapered inwardly and downwardly in cross section.

3. The combination with a clothes wringer having rollers and a frame, of a guard comprising a guide longer than said rollers and connected to said frame and having a longitudinal slot extending entirely through the guide, a rigid wiper bar extending entirely through the slot in said guide and engaging one of said rollers and spring means for urging said wiper bar toward said roller located exteriorly of the guide and engaging the wiper bar exteriorly of the guide.

4. The combination with a clothes wringer having rollers and a frame, of a guard comprising a guide longer than said rollers and connected to said frame and having a longitudinal slot extending entirely through the guide, a rigid wiper bar extending entirely through the slot in said guide and engaging one of said rollers and a leaf spring attached to the exterior of the guide and yieldably engaging the wiper bar exteriorly of the guide.

HENRY J. HEETDERKS 

